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Iran and Hezbollah removed from US list of terror threats

Report of omission confirmed Tuesday just days before the end of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers; Jordan concerned over heavy Iranian Revolutionary Guard presence on border

Just a week and a half before negotiations between Iran and world powers are set to end, a report confirming the omission of both Iran and Hezbollah from the United States 2015 Worldwide Threat Assessment was confirmed.

Iran has been removed from the “Regional Threats” section and is not listed in the subsections of “Weapons of Mass Destruction,’ Cyber,” and “Regional threats”.

The Assessment, submitted to the US Senate, was dated for February 26th of this year and reports the Islamic Republic efforts to combat Sunni extremists, stating that “Iranian leaders, particularly within the security services—are pursuing policies with negative secondary consequences for regional stability and potentially for Iran… Iran’s actions to protect and empower Shia communities are fueling growing fears and sectarian responses” the claims specific to Iran’s vocal protest and denouncement of Islamic state groups.

The assessment also states that Iran is “overarching strategic goals of enhancing its security, prestige, and regional influence [that] have led it to pursue capabilities to meet its civilian goals and give it the ability to build missile-deliverable nuclear weapons, if it chooses to do so.”

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton stated that the decision to omit Iran and Hezbollah is entirely connected to nuclear talks. He stated it is “Because what they [Iran] want is not simply to be freed from the sanctions that were imposed because of the nuclear program; they want to be freed from the sanctions that have been imposed 30-plus years because of their state-sponsorship of terrorism.”

Hezbollah is known to be funded and supported by Iran and Syrian President Assad, the terrorist organization constantly calling for the destruction of the State of Israel

On Tuesday evening, Jordan has expressed deep concern of the deployment of between 10,000-15,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guard soldiers along with Hezbollah operatives on the Syrian-Jordanian border. The reported “offensive” against rebel forces in Syria is a game-changer for the region.